Valve-gear



(No Model.) i

' H. LECHTENBERG.

VALVE GEAR.

Patented May 1, 1888..

HENRY LEGHTENBERG, OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

VALVE-GEAR v sPncrFrcA'I-ION fon-ning part or Leners Patent No. 382,168,dated May 1,1888.

Application filed November 17, 1887. Serial No. 255,416.

(No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY LnoHTnNBERG, of Quincy, in the county ot'Adams and State of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements inValveGear, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a mechanism for imparting a reciprocatingmovement to the valves of steam-pumps, steam-engines, 85o., in which thevalve motion is obtained from the main piston-rod; and it consists incombining with the pistonrod and the valve-operating rod or spindle anintermediate spring, which, being compressed by the piston-rod, acts tothrow the valve lirstI in one direction and then in the other, andtappets or locking devices by which the spring is prevented from movingthe valve except at the proper times.

In the drawings I have represented my improvement as applied to thatfamiliar class of pumps in which a piston-rod -is provided at one endwith an actuating steam-piston and at the opposite end with thepumpspiston.

Figure l represents a longitudinal vertical section through the steamcylinder and the entire Valve mechanism, one end of the pumppiston beingalso shown in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the valve andvalve-chest, being shown in horizontal section on the line w cv. Fig. 3is a crosssection through the valveAchest on the line y y of thepreceding guresA Referring to the drawings, A represents a steamcylindercontaining a reciprocating pis= ton, B, attached rigidly to thepiston-rod C,

which is extended, as usual, through and beyond the'end of the cylinderandjnto a second cylinder, D, where it is attached to the usualpump-piston, E. The steam=cylinder is provided with eduction andinduction ports a and a', leading from opposite ends to points near themiddle, and also provided with an eduction-port, b, leading to theexterior, these ports being similar in general arrangement to those inordinary slide-valve engines.

\ F is the steam-chest located on the top of the cylinder and containingthe reciprocating valve G, which is of the balanced type and of V formin cross-section. The valve is provided on opposite sides with duplicateports constructed as shown, so that as it is moved to and fro itdelivers the steam into and out of the opposite ends of the cylinderalternately, in a manner which will be understood by any person skilledin the art.

H represents the valvespindle projecting through and beyond thechest andsustained in suitable guides, I, that it may move freely in an endwisedirection. Near its opposite end the valvespindle H is provided with twofixed collars, J, which, encountering the guides I and I' alternately,limit the reciprocation oi' the valve.

To `the piston-rod C is secured rigidly an arm, K, carrying at its upperend a sleeve, L, which encircles the valve'spindle I-I. In op positeends of this sleeve are mounted two smaller sleeves, M and M', andwithin the sleeves around the valve-spindle His mounted a strong spiralspring, N, which, bearing against the sleeves M and M', tends to pushthem outward in opposite directions. Each of the smaller sleeves isprovided at its inner end with a flange, e, by which its outwardmovement is limited, although it is permitted to move freely inward onthe application of sufficient force to effect the compression of t-hespring.

To the guides I and I' are pivoted two dogs or tappets, O and O', whichare adapted to act alternately behind the respective collars J and J',in order to lock the valve'spindle against motion first in one directionand then in the other. rlhe reciprocating arm K carries on its upper enda roller, P, or equivalent projection, adapted to act on the two dogsalternately and effect their disengagement from the collars oi' thevalve-stem. r The operation is as followss Assuming that the pistons andpiston-rod are moving toward the right, as indicated by the arrow inFig. 1, the dog O will stand in engagement with the collar J, holdingthe valve to the left, as shown in Fig. 1. As the piston rod approachesthe completion of its movement to the right, cars ry'ing the sleeves andthe spring with it, the sleeve M' encounters the collar J', which arrests the movement of the sleeve M'. As,

however, the other parts 'continue their advance, the spring issubjected to a strong compression, so that, acting through the sleeve Mon the collar J', it acts to move the valvelspindle and valve to theright. Vhile the spring is thus acting, and at or near the end of thepiston-stroke, the roller P encounters'the dog or tappet O and lifts thesame ont of engagement with the collar J, whereupon the spring acts tomove the valve-spindle and valve quickly to the right, therebyvreversing vthe course of the steam into the cylinder. When this actionoccurs, the dog O drops into engagement behind the collar J and holdsthe valv`e-spindle tothe right. The piston and its connections now moveto the left.` The sleeve Mencounters the collar J and the spring iscompressed, so that it tends to move the valve to the left. At theproper time the roller P disengages the dog O, whereupon the springpushes the valve to the left, the parts again assuming the positionrepresented in Fig. l, with the dog O engaged behind the collar J'. v Y

It will be perceived that under my construction the piston-rod acts uponthe spring` in such manner that the latter tends to move the valve rstto the right and then to the lefta`nd that the dogs or tappets operateto hold `the valve until the spring is properly compressed, and then torelease it, so that its movement may be suddenly effected by thespring'. p

It ismanifest that the details of construction may be modified invarious respects, the essence of my invention residing in thecombination of a valveoperating spring `coinpressed through the actionfof the piston-rod with dogs which prevent the valve from moving duringthe compression of the spring until the proper time arrives.

While I prefer to inclose the spring by means of the sleeves in themanner shown, it is obvious that any equivalent device which will permitthe spring to be compressedby the arm K against the collars J and Jalternately, may be employed without passing beyond the limits of myinvention.

. Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In avalvegear, the reciprocating valverod H, having the end collars, J J, incombination with the two independent pivoted dogs O O', alternatelyengaging the respective collars to hold the valve-rod momentarily atrest, the reciprocating piston-rod, the arm K, xed rigidly to saidl rodand acting upon the dogs alternately to effect their disengagement fromthe collars, the spiral spring loosely encircling' the valverod, and thetwo sleeves M M', seated against opposite ends of the spring andconnected with the arm K to yield each toward the other, as described,whereby the arm on the piston-rod is caused to directly effect thecompression of the spring rst in one direcltion andthen in the otheragainst the collars of the valve rod, and also to directly trip thedogs,that the spring may move the rod at the proper time.

2. In combination with the piston-rod C, the arm K, xedrigidly theretoand provided with the Asleeve N and roller l?, the spiral springencircling the valve-spindle, the sleeves M and M', seated against theends of the spring, the valve-spindle provided with the two collars, andthe locking dogs or tappets adapted engage said collars alternately.

In testimony whereofIhereuntoset myhand, this 22d day of October, 1887,in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

HENRY LECHTENBERG.

Witnesses:

HENRY STOETZEL, JOE STEINKAMP.

